System and method for toothbrush with paste dispenser

ABSTRACT

A toothbrush assembly including a toothbrush and a toothpaste cartridge. The toothbrush includes: a handle having a compartment to receive the toothpaste cartridge; a head having bristles; a door covering an opening of the compartment; and a conduit running from the compartment to the head to deliver toothpaste from the toothpaste cartridge in the compartment to the head and the bristles. The toothpaste cartridge includes: a housing having a cavity to store toothpaste; a piston having threads; a paste plate coupled to the piston via the threads; a knob coupled to the piston to turn the piston to move the paste plate along the piston toward the head of the toothbrush to dispense the toothpaste from the cavity to through the conduit into the bristles.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of Application No. 61/316,256, filedOct. 31, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 61/408,631, filed Oct. 31, 2010, both of which are incorporated byreference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to toothbrushes and, morespecifically, to a toothbrush and associated cartridge paste dispenser.

2. Description of the Related Art

This section is intended to introduce the reader to aspects of art thatmay be related to aspects of the present invention, which are describedand/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful inproviding the reader with background information to facilitate a betterunderstanding of the various aspects of the present invention.Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to beread in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Commonly, a typical toothbrush and separate toothpaste tube are employedto brush one's teeth. However, such an approach requires that the usermaintain the two individual items of the toothbrush and the toothpastetube. Unfortunately, there are times while person is at home, traveling,working, away from home, and so on, that having to use two separateobjects to brush their teeth can be inconvenient or problematic.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the present inventions provides for a toothbrush assemblyincluding a toothbrush having: a handle for holding the toothbrush andhaving a compartment to receive a toothpaste cartridge; a head havingbristles to brush teeth; a door covering an opening of the compartment,wherein the door in an open position receives the toothpaste cartridgeinto the compartment, and the door in a closed position secures thetoothpaste cartridge received in the compartment; and a conduit runningfrom the compartment to the head, the conduit to facilitate delivery ofthe toothpaste from the toothpaste cartridge in the compartment to thehead and the bristles. The toothbrush assembly includes the toothpastecartridge to be installed in the compartment to dispense toothpaste, thetoothpaste cartridge including: a housing having a cavity to storetoothpaste; a piston having threads and disposed at least partiallyinside the housing; a paste plate coupled to the piston via the threads;a knob coupled to the piston to turn the piston to move the paste platealong the piston toward the head of the toothbrush to dispense thetoothpaste from the cavity to through the conduit into the bristles ofthe toothbrush; and an end plate having at least one hole to dischargethe toothpaste from the cavity of the cartridge to the conduit of thetoothbrush.

Another aspect of the present invention provides for a reusabletoothbrush having: a handle having a compartment that receives atoothpaste cartridge, wherein an opening of the compartment forreceiving the toothpaste cartridge is disposed on the side of thehandle; a door covering the opening in a closed position to secure thetoothpaste cartridge when installed in the compartment, wherein the doorcomprises an aperture to receive a knob of the toothpaste cartridge suchthat when the door is in the closed position the knob extends outsidethe toothbrush for access to a user; a head having bristles coupled tothe head; and a conduit from the compartment to the head of thetoothbrush, the conduit to receive toothpaste from the compartment andfacilitate delivery of the toothpaste to the bristles.

Yet another aspect of the invention provides for a method of using atoothbrush assembly, the method including: opening a hinged door on aside of a handle of a reusable toothbrush to reveal a compartment in thehandle of the toothbrush; inserting a toothpaste cartridge into thecompartment, wherein the toothpaste cartridge comprises a body and acavity to store toothpaste; closing the hinged door to snap the doorshut with the side of the handle to secure the toothpaste cartridge inplace in the compartment of the toothbrush; turning a knob at the baseof the toothpaste cartridge to rotate a piston to move a support platein the toothpaste cartridge forward along the piston to dispensetoothpaste from the cartridge into a conduit of the reusable toothbrush,and from the conduit into bristles on a head of the reusable toothbrush,and wherein the knob extends through an opening of the door to outsideof the handle of the toothbrush for access to a user; gripping thehandle of the toothbrush via a raised portion on the handle; andbrushing teeth with the toothbrush and the toothpaste dispensed into thebristles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Advantages of the invention may become apparent upon reading thefollowing detailed description and upon reference to the drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toothbrush kit or assembly including atoothbrush and associated toothpaste cartridge in accordance withembodiments of the present techniques;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the end plate of the toothpaste cartridge ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is an end view of an alternative end plate for analternatively-shaped toothpaste cartridge in accordance with embodimentsof the present techniques;

FIG. 2B is an end view of an alternative end plate for analternatively-shaped toothpaste cartridge in accordance with embodimentsof the present techniques;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a toothbrush with an opened door inaccordance with embodiments of the present techniques;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the toothbrush of FIG. 3, having aninstalled toothbrush cartridge in accordance with embodiments of thepresent techniques;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatical representation of the toothpaste cartridge ofFIG. 4 depicting internals of the toothbrush cartridge in accordancewith embodiments of the present techniques;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatical representation depicting internals of thetoothbrush of FIGS. 3 and 4 with the cartridge installed, in accordancewith embodiments of the present techniques;

FIG. 7 is a block flow diagram of a method of using a toothbrush andassociated toothpaste cartridge in accordance with embodiments of thepresent techniques.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed below. In an effort to provide a concise description of theseembodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are describedin the specification. It should be appreciated that in the developmentof any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or designproject, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made toachieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance withsystem-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from oneimplementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that sucha development effort might be complex and time consuming, but wouldnevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, andmanufacture for those of ordinary skill in the art and having thebenefit of this disclosure.

The present techniques are directed to a toothbrush (e.g., reusable) andassociated toothpaste cartridge (e.g., disposable), wherein thetoothpaste cartridge may be positioned inside the toothbrush. Inoperation, the toothpaste is dispensed from the cartridge into thebristles of the toothbrush. In other words, by turning a knob at thebase of the cartridge, the toothpaste stored in the cartridge isdischarged from the end of the cartridge and travels to the brushinghead of the toothbrush (and expelled into the bristles). Within thecartridge, a pusher plate travels in the direction of the brushing headto propel the toothpaste to the brushing head, in response to turning ofthe knob, as discussed below with respect to the drawings. When thetoothpaste has been consumed and depleted within the cartridge, the tubeor cartridge can be replaced, or refilled with toothpaste.

For the user, the product ultimately combines a toothbrush andtoothpaste in a single combined unit. The improved oral care product maybe of particular appeal to users who desire the convenience of a singleassembly for brushing teeth, such as travelers, patrons of clubs, andmembers of the labor force including members of the military, forexample, or anyone in the general public. The toothbrush and cartridgemay be a wide array of sizes and colors, and appropriate for adults andchildren. Further, the toothpaste in the cartridge may be a variety oftypes and flavors. Moreover, the bristles at the head of the toothbrushmay be of various hardness, angles, and configurations. Further, thebrushing head may be angled to facilitate better access to the backteeth, for instance. In addition, the handle of the toothbrush may becontoured and/or have raised portions to facilitate grasping thetoothbrush. As for materials, the toothbrush may be constructed ofplastic such as polyvinyl chloride, or rubber, or other materials. Thebristles may be various plastics or fibers, such an extruded nylon.

In all, the product provides for not having to employ a toothbrush andtube of toothpaste separately. It may simplify the tooth-brushingactivity while in the home or away from home. Advantageous features mayinclude convenience, self-contained design, portability, compact size,and the like. In embodiments, the product may provide for not having tocarry a full-sized toothbrush and tube of toothpaste separately.Moreover, the product may address certain untidy features of using aseparate tube of toothpaste. The product may also reduce chances offorgetting to pack oral hygiene products, and may also take less spacein a suitcase or overnight bag, for example.

As explained more below, the toothbrush and paste cartridge areconfigured such that the disposable cartridge fits inside a cavity orcompartment in the handle of the toothbrush, and is removable from thereusable toothbrush. The compartment has a door (e.g., hinged) in thesidewall of the toothbrush handle. In certain embodiments, the doorclicks in place in the closed position and secures the received pastecartridge such that the cartridge body does not rotate when thedispensing knob of the cartridge is turned. Of course, as indicatedbelow, other features may be incorporated to secure the cartridge andpreclude undesired rotation of the cartridge.

As depicted in the drawings, the cartridge has a piston, a pusher orpaste plate secured to the piston, and a knob to turn the piston todrive the paste plate forward (and thus push the toothpaste into thebristles of the toothbrush). The knob may generally be located at thebase of the toothpaste cartridge. Moreover, the compartment door on thehandle of the toothbrush may have an opening to receive the knob, suchthat the knob is accessible to a user without opening the door on thetoothbrush.

Further, it should be noted that turning or rotation of the knob may bemanual (by hand) or automatic (mechanized via a motor). Furthermore, acavity at the bottom end or portion of the toothbrush handle may housethe motor and associated battery. The battery may be a cylindricalbattery, flat cell battery, and so forth. In alternate embodiments, themotor may also provide for vibration of the head/bristles of thetoothbrush

Moreover, a gripping portion of the toothbrush including ridges, orbumps, or the like, may facilitate holding the handle of the toothbrush.Optionally, curved portions of the handle may be included to facilitatehandling of the toothbrush and/or insertion of the head and bristles ofthe toothbrush into the mouth to brush the teeth.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a toothbrush assembly 10including a toothbrush 12 having an installed toothpaste cartridge 14.For clarity, the toothpaste cartridge 14 is depicted separately.Moreover, it should be emphasized that the depicted shape and form ofthe toothbrush 12 and cartridge 14 are only exemplary, and thetoothbrush 12 and cartridge may be of other shapes, forms, andgeometries.

In the illustrated embodiment, the toothbrush 12 has a handle 16 and ahead 18 having bristles 20. The cartridge 14 has a cylindrical housingor body 22 (having a wall 23), a knob 24 at the base 26, and a piston 28extending through an end plate 30 to secure the piston 28 at an end face35 of the cartridge 14. Discharge holes 32 are included in the end plate30 for the toothpaste (residing in the cartridge 14) to exit thecartridge 14.

When the cartridge 14 is installed in the toothbrush 12, the knob 24 ofthe cartridge 14 extends through an aperture or opening 34 (e.g., gap,notch, etc.) in the handle 16 the toothbrush 12 so that the user hasready access to the knob 24. The opening 34 may be recessed toadequately expose the knob 24 to the user.

Further, a cavity (not shown) inside the base 36 of the handle 16 may beconfigured for housing a motor (not shown), for example, used to turnthe knob 24. Of course, in the illustrated embodiment, the knob may bemanually turned by hand. Moreover, raised portions 37 may be disposed onthe handle 16 to facilitate gripping of the toothbrush 12. The raisedportions 37 may be raised surfaces, bumps, ridges, and so on.

Additionally, a brand name 38 or other text or graphics, may be providedon the handle 16 or head 18 of the toothbrush 12. Lastly, as discussedbelow, the handle 16 of the toothbrush 12 includes a door 42 that opensso the toothbrush 12 can receive the toothpaste cartridge 24.

FIG. 2 depicts the end face 35 of the substantially cylindricalcartridge 14 of FIG. 1, and showing the substantially circular end plate30. The tip or end of the piston 28 extends through an opening 39 of theend plate 30. As mentioned, the discharge holes 32 provide an exit forthe toothpaste stored in the cartridge 14. While the discharge holes 32are depicted as square or rectangular, the discharge holes 32 may beother shapes or geometries, such as other straight geometries, curved,circular, and so on.

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B depict alternate shapes for the overall cartridge 14in showing an end face 35A as oval in FIG. 2A, and an end face 35B assquare in FIG. 2B. Such oval or square shapes depicted in FIG. 2A andFIG. 2B, respectively, of the end plate 30 and cylinder 14, instead of acylindrical shape of the cylinder depicted in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, may bebeneficial. For example, in certain embodiments, the oval orsquare/rectangular shapes may better facilitate securing the cylinder 14to preclude undesirable rotation of the overall cylinder 14 (installedin the handle 16 of the toothbrush 12) when the knob 24 is turned todispense the toothpaste. Of course, the internals of the toothbrush 12may be configured to accommodate such alternate oval and squaregeometries.

Internals (not depicted) of the toothbrush 12 and may also haveextensions or other elements to facilitate securing of the cartridge 14.Likewise, internals of the toothbrush 12 or on the cartridge 14 mayinclude seals, baffles, gaskets, and so on, to prevent or reducebackflow of discharged toothpaste, for example, into the handle of thetoothbrush 12 away from the head 18.

FIG. 3 depicts the toothbrush 12 with the door 42 in the open position,and the toothbrush 12 in the empty position without the cartridge 14 butready to receive the cartridge 14. In operation, the door 42 of thehandle 16 may be opened to receive the cartridge 14 into cavity orcompartment 44 of the handle 16. Internals (not depicted) may bedisposed at the base 43 of compartment 44 to support the receivedcartridge 14. FIG. 4 also depicts the toothbrush 12 with the door 42 inthe open position but with the cartridge 14 inserted into the toothbrush12. The toothpaste cartridge 14 may optionally have a support extension45 below the knob 24, or other configurations.

The door 42 may be hinged via hinges 46 at one or more places with thehandle 16. When closed, the door 42 may be “clicked” closed with a malecoupling 48 on the door 36 and a female coupling 50 on the handle 16 (orvice versa), for example. Thus, the door 42 may be coupled with thehandle 16 and clicked in the closed position with the handle 16. Thedoor 42 in the closed position facilitates securing of the installedcartridge 14 in place inside the handle 16 of the toothbrush 12.

In alternate embodiments, the handle 42 may be positioned elsewhere onthe handle 16 of the toothbrush 12. In one example, a base 36 portion isremovable (e.g., screwed, clamped, clicked, etc.) and the cartridge 14to be inserted through that end of the handle 16 into the cavity orcompartment 44.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatical representation of the cartridge 14 showingthe inside of the toothpaste cartridge 14. Similarly, FIG. 6 is adiagrammatical representation of the toothbrush 12 showing the internaltoothpaste flow path. In FIG. 6, the toothpaste cartridge 14 is disposedin the toothbrush 12. As depicted in both FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, thetoothpaste cartridge 14 has an internal push plate 52 that supports thetoothpaste 54 residing in the interior 51 of the cartridge 14. The pushplate 52 may be labeled a paste plate, support plate, and so on, and maybe threaded at the mating surface to the piston 28.

In operation, the knob 24 may be turned (manually or via a motor) torotate the threaded (or grooved) piston 28 (or rod, bolt, etc.) to movethe paste plate 52 forward to transfer and push the toothpaste 54through the holes 32 of the end plate 32 into the internal conduit 56 ofthe toothbrush 12. The toothpaste 54 flows through the conduit 56 andexits a hole or opening 58 into the bristles 20. In other words, in theillustrated embodiment the conduit 56 terminates at the head 18 andbristles 20, and the conduit 56 discharge is the hole or opening 58 inthe head 18 at the bristles 20. Moreover, the conduit 56 may include areducer such as a reducing fork 60 that receives the toothpaste 54 fromthe holes 32 of the end plate 30 of the toothpaste cartridge 14.Additionally, it should be apparent that in alternate embodiments, theconduit 56 may branch into multiple conduits 56 and exit throughmultiple openings 58 to increase distribution of the paste 54 into thebristles 20. Lastly, residual toothpaste may remain in the conduit 56when a new full toothpaste cartridge 14 is installed to replace an olddepleted toothpaste cartridge 14. On the hand, the conduit 56 may becleaned and any residual toothpaste removed.

FIG. 7 depicts a method 100 of using a toothbrush assembly, the methodincluding opening (block 102) a hinged door on a side of a handle of areusable toothbrush to reveal a compartment in the handle of thetoothbrush. The method includes inserting (block 104) a disposabletoothpaste cartridge into the compartment, wherein the toothpastecartridge comprises a body and a cavity to store toothpaste.Additionally, the method includes closing (block 106) the hinged door tosnap the door shut with the side of the handle to secure the disposabletoothpaste cartridge in place in the compartment of the toothbrush.Furthermore, the method includes turning (block 108) a knob at the baseof the cartridge to rotate a piston in the cartridge to move a pasteplate of the cartridge forward to dispense toothpaste from the cartridgeinto a conduit of the reusable toothbrush to bristles of a head of thereusable toothbrush, wherein the knob extends through an opening of thedoor to outside of the handle of the toothbrush for access to a user.Also, the method includes gripping (block 110) the handle of thetoothbrush via a raised portion on the handle, and brushing (block 112)teeth with the toothbrush and toothpaste. The raised portion may includeridges or bumps, or a combination thereof.

In sum, the present techniques in a first example may include atoothbrush assembly including a toothbrush having: a handle for holdingthe toothbrush and having a compartment to receive a toothpastecartridge; a head having bristles to brush teeth; a door covering anopening of the compartment, wherein the door in an open positionreceives the toothpaste cartridge into the compartment, and the door ina closed position secures the toothpaste cartridge received in thecompartment; and a conduit running from the compartment to the head, theconduit to facilitate delivery of the toothpaste from the cartridge inthe compartment to the head and the bristles. The toothbrush assemblymay include the toothpaste cartridge to be installed in the compartmentto dispense toothpaste, the toothpaste cartridge including: a housinghaving a cavity to store toothpaste; a piston having threads anddisposed at least partially inside the housing; a paste plate coupled tothe piston via the threads; a knob coupled to the piston to turn thepiston to move the paste plate along the piston toward the head of thetoothbrush to dispense the toothpaste from the cavity to through theconduit into the bristles of the toothbrush; and an end plate having atleast one hole to discharge the toothpaste from the cavity of thecartridge to the conduit of the toothbrush.

In certain embodiments, the toothbrush is reusable and the toothpastecartridge is disposable. The opening of the compartment is on the sideof the handle and not at an end of the handle. The door is coupled to aside of the handle via hinges. Further, the door has an aperture toreceive the knob such that the knob extends to an exterior of thetoothbrush for access of the knob to a user when the door is in theclosed position. Furthermore, the handle has a raised portion tofacilitate gripping of the handle, wherein the raised portion may beridges or bumps, or a combination thereof. Lastly, the end plate mayinclude at least two holes, and the conduit includes a reducing forkcoupled to the compartment to receive the toothpaste from the at leasttwo holes.

Similarly, in a second example, the present techniques also provide fora reusable toothbrush having: a handle having a compartment thatreceives a disposable toothpaste cartridge, wherein an opening of thecompartment for receiving the disposable toothpaste cartridge isdisposed on the side of the handle; a door covering the opening in aclosed position to secure the disposable toothpaste cartridge wheninstalled in the compartment, wherein the door comprises an aperture toreceive a knob of the disposable toothpaste cartridge such that when thedoor is in the closed position the knob extends outside the toothbrushfor access to a user; a head having bristles coupled to the head; and aconduit from the compartment to the head of the toothbrush, the conduitto receive toothpaste from the compartment and facilitate delivery ofthe toothpaste to the bristles.

In this example, the conduit is disposed in an interior of thetoothbrush. The conduit receives toothpaste from the disposabletoothpaste cartridge when in the compartment. The conduit terminates ata hole in the head that discharges into the bristles. As above, the dooris coupled to the side of the handle via hinges. Of course, the door maybe coupled to the door via features other than hinges. Again, the handlemay have a raised portion to facilitate gripping of the handle, whereinthe raised portion comprises a ridge or bumps, or a combination thereof.

The toothbrush of the second example may also include the disposabletoothpaste cartridge installed in the compartment, wherein thedisposable toothpaste cartridge includes: a body; a cavity in the bodyto store toothpaste; a piston (e.g., rod, bolt, screw, etc.) havingthreads and disposed at least partially inside the body; a paste platecoupled to the threads of the piston; a knob configured to turn thepiston to move the paste plate along the piston toward a head of atoothbrush to dispense the toothpaste through a conduit of thetoothbrush into the bristles of the toothbrush; and an end plate coupledto the body and having at least one hole to discharge the toothpastefrom the cartridge into a conduit of the toothbrush, wherein thedisposable toothpaste cartridge configured to be installed in thecompartment of the toothbrush.

Lastly, a method of using a toothbrush assembly may include: opening ahinged door on a side of a handle of a reusable toothbrush to reveal acompartment in the handle of the toothbrush; inserting a toothpastecartridge into the compartment, wherein the toothpaste cartridgecomprises a body and a cavity to store toothpaste; closing the hingeddoor to snap the door shut with the side of the handle to secure thetoothpaste cartridge in place in the compartment of the toothbrush;turning a knob at the base of the toothpaste cartridge to rotate apiston to move a support plate in the toothpaste cartridge forward alongthe piston to dispense toothpaste from the cartridge into a conduit ofthe reusable toothbrush, and from the conduit into bristles on a head ofthe reusable toothbrush, and wherein the knob extends through an openingof the door to outside of the handle of the toothbrush for access to auser; gripping the handle of the toothbrush via a raised portion on thehandle; and brushing teeth with the toothbrush and the toothpastedispensed into the bristles. In certain embodiments, the conduit isdisposed in an interior of the toothbrush, and runs from the compartmentto the head. In this example, the toothpaste cartridge is disposable. Ofcourse, if desired, the toothpaste cartridge may be configured to berefilled with toothpaste and reused.

What is claimed is:
 1. A toothbrush comprising: a head having bristles;a handle for holding the toothbrush, the handle having a compartmentthat receives a toothpaste cartridge, wherein an opening of thecompartment for receiving the toothpaste cartridge is disposed on a sideof the handle and not at an end of the handle; a door at the opening ofthe compartment; and a conduit from the compartment to the head of thetoothbrush, the conduit configured to facilitate delivery of toothpastefrom the toothpaste cartridge to the head.
 2. The toothbrush of claim 1,wherein the door comprises an aperture to receive a knob of thetoothpaste cartridge such that when the door is in the closed position,a portion of the knob extends through the aperture to outside thetoothbrush for access to the knob by a user.
 3. The toothbrush of claim1, wherein the conduit is disposed in an interior of the toothbrush. 4.The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the conduit terminates at a hole onthe head discharging into the bristles.
 5. The toothbrush of claim 1,wherein the conduit is configured to receive toothpaste via a hole on anend plate of the toothpaste cartridge.
 6. The toothbrush of claim 1,wherein the conduit comprises a reducing fork configured to receivetoothpaste via two holes on an endplate of the toothpaste cartridge. 7.The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the handle has a raised portion tofacilitate gripping of the handle;
 8. The toothbrush of claim 1, furthercomprising the toothpaste cartridge.
 9. The toothbrush of claim 8,wherein the toothpaste cartridge comprises: a body; a cavity in the bodyto store toothpaste; and a knob configured to be turned to dispensetoothpaste from the toothpaste cartridge and through the conduit to thehead and bristles.
 10. A toothpaste cartridge comprising: a housingforming a cavity to store toothpaste, wherein the toothpaste cartridgeis configured to be installed in a compartment of a toothbrush; a pistonhaving threads, the piston disposed at least partially inside thehousing; a paste plate coupled to the piston via the threads; an endplate having an opening configured to discharge toothpaste from thecavity into a conduit of the toothbrush; and a knob coupled to thepiston to turn the piston to move the paste plate along the pistontoward a head of the toothbrush to dispense toothpaste from the cavitythrough the opening of the end plate and through the conduit of thetoothbrush into the head having bristles of the toothbrush.
 11. Thetoothbrush cartridge of claim 10, wherein the endplate comprises twoopening to facilitate discharge of the toothpaste.
 12. The toothbrushcartridge of claim 10, wherein the toothpaste cartridge is refillablewith toothpaste.
 13. The toothbrush cartridge of claim 10, whereintoothpaste cartridge is reusable.
 14. The toothbrush cartridge of claim10, wherein the toothpaste cartridge is configured to be installedthrough an opening of the compartment, the opening disposed on a side ofa handle of the toothbrush and not at an end of the toothbrush.
 15. Thetoothbrush cartridge of claim 14, wherein the knob is configured toextend through an aperture of a door covering the opening of thecompartment such that the knob is accessible to the user when thetoothpaste cartridge is installed in the compartment and the door isclosed.
 16. A method of using a toothbrush assembly, the methodcomprising: opening a door on a side of a handle of a toothbrush toreveal a compartment in the handle of the toothbrush; inserting atoothpaste cartridge into the compartment, wherein the toothpastecartridge comprises a body forming a cavity to store toothpaste; closingthe door, wherein a knob of the cartridge extends through an opening ofthe door to outside of the handle of the toothbrush for access to auser; and turning a knob on the toothpaste cartridge to rotate a pistonto move a support plate in the toothpaste cartridge forward along thepiston to dispense toothpaste from the cavity of the toothpastecartridge into a conduit of the toothbrush, and from the conduit intobristles on a head of the toothbrush.
 17. The method of claim 16,comprising brushing teeth with the toothbrush and with the toothpastedispensed into the bristles.
 18. The method of claim 17, comprisinggripping the handle of the toothbrush via a raised portion on thehandle.
 19. The method of claim 16, comprising opening the door,removing the toothpaste cartridge from the toothbrush, and refilling thetoothbrush cartridge with toothpaste.
 20. The method of claim 16,wherein closing the door comprises closing the door to secure totoothpaste cartridge in the compartment.